Improvement in type setting and distributing machines



- Virginia, have invented a new and Improved make and use the same, reference being had y positing the type in said chambers.

Y are adjusted in a proper stick. This part of UNITED STATES PATENT GTT-TCEo M. UMSTADTER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TYPE SETTING AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 91,988, dated June 29, 1869.

To all whom it 'may concern s Be it known that I, M. UMSTADTER, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Machine for Distributing and Setting Type; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved machine for distributing and setting type; and it consists in a novelmeans employed for carrying the type to be distributed from the stick in which they are deposited to a series of chambers, from which they are taken to be set up.

The invention also relates to certain means for adjusting or placing` the type in proper position to be conveyed to the chambers above specified, and also in certain means for de- The invention further relates to certain means for discharging the type from the typechambers upon a carrying device, which `conveys them to the receptacle, from which they the invention includes the setting up,77 as it is technically termed.

The construction and operation of the several parts and details connected therewith are hereinafter fully shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet No. 1., is a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 2, Sheet No. 2, an elevation of the same, partly in section, as indicated by the line :v Fig. 3, Sheet No. 3, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l 5 Fig. 4, Sheet No. 4, a section of a portion of the same, taken in the line z z, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a section of a portion of the same, taken in the line z z', Fig. l.

Similar letters of referenceindicate the same parts in all the figures.

A represents a framing, which may be con structed in any suitable manner to support the machine and the principal part of its driv ing mechanism.

The frame proper of the machine consists of cross-rods, the greater portion of which serve as supports or bearings for dili'erent working parts of the machine.

B, Fig. 2, represents a driving-wheel placed in the framing A, and by means of a belt, O, communicating motion to a shaft, D, at one side of the upper part of the framing A, said shaft D having a pulley, E, upon it, around which and a similar pulley, F, at the opposite side of the framing A, an endless belt, G, is fitted.

On the shaft D there is keyed a pulley, H, around which a belt, I, passes, said belt eX- tending upward and passing around a pulley on a shaft, b, which has its bearings in plates c, the latter projecting horizontally from one of the side plates a, of the machine. On this shaft b there is keyed a pulley, J, around which an endless belt, L, passes, said belt also passing around a similar pulley, M, at the opposite side of the machine, and having its Vshaft supported in a similar manner. By

' this arrangement a continuous movement is given the two belts GL from one and the Y same drivin g-wheel B.

To the belt L there are attached, at suitable intervals, elastic plates N, having prongs c at their outer ends at such a distance apart that a xed bar, O, may fit between them, and allow said prongs, during the working or moving of the belt L, to pass freely along, one at each side of said bar, which is rmly bolted in position on the fra-me of the machine, and eX- tends the whole width of the same, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

M is a stick placed at one side of the machine, and into which the type (shown in red) to be distributed is placed. This stick has a position at right angles with the bar O, and is at one end of the same, and extends a short distance behind said bar to a plate or bed, d, on which the lines of type, one line at a time, are thrown down latwise and pressed by a plunger, d", against a plate or abutment,` e, said plunger being acted upon by a spring, l). (Shown more particularly in Fig. v2.) Vhen these lines of type are thrown down their faces are visible to the operator who works the keys Q, and each line of type is distributed as it is read by the operator, a key, Q,

two parallel side plates, au, connected by/ actuated for each type, and each type or right-angular levers or keys Q on a shaft,

` \\being moved in a corresponding degree, and

Aa slot made in it, one part, h, of which is conveyed to its proper chamber. These chambers, which are designated by It, are all arranged side by side between the side plates a a, and correspond in Width and length to the type which they are designed to receive, there being a sufficient number of chambers to receive all the letters of the alphabet and the necessary quads, spaces, and other characters used in printing.

In each chamber R there is fitted a vertical rack, S, into which pinions T gear. rIhese pinions are all placed loosely on one and the same shaft U, and each pinion has a ratchet, V, at one side of it, into which a pawl, W, catches. These pawls W are attached to bent a", and are depressed by the fingers of the operator, and each time a key, Q, is depressed the pawl W, connected with it, moves the ratchet with which the pawl is engaged the distance'of one tooth, the adjoining pinion T the rack S, into which said pinion gears, is moved downward in its chamber R a corresponding distance. Through the lower ends of the racks S pins c-X x pass horizontally, and the type are supported by these pins in the chambers, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, cx representing the type; and each time a rack, S, is lowered by the pressing down of a key, Q, room is made in the chamber to receive another type, ex.

X represents a series of arms, the lower ends of which are all fitted loosely on a shaft, Y. There is an arm, X, for each key Q, the lower end of each key bearing against an arm. Each arm X has a spring, Z, bearing against it, and these springs have a tendency to throw the keys Q upward as they are relieved of the pressure of the ngers of the operator. To the upper end of each arm X there is connected, by a pivot, a horizontal bar, A. These bars extend across the upper ends of the typechambers R, and the front parts of the bars are made in the form of hooks f, as shown in Fig. l. B' Bx are two arms, the lower ends of which are attached to a shaft, C'. These arms, which have a position one at each side of the machine, are connected by a rod, D', against which all the arms X bear, the rod D' being kept in contact with said arms by means of a spring, E', Fig. 3.

The arm B' extends up higher than the arm B", and the former is forked at its upper part, the prongs g g being at opposite sides of a bar, F', which works on the shaft a", and has straight, and has a longitudinal position in the bar, while the other part, hx, has an oblique position; and a pin, i, which passes through the prongs g g, also passes through this slot in the bar F'.

The arm B' has a rod, j, Fig. l, pivoted to it, and this rod is in line with the inner end of the bed d and with the innermost type thereon. This rod j, each time a key, Qd?

pressed down, is shoved across the bed d, ,3nd

moves the type, which is directly in front of it, across the bar O, and the bar A' of the arm X, which is operated by the depressd key Q, is also moved across the bar O; and the prongs c of a spring-plate,'N, on the belt L, the rst one that comes along, catches the type, and carries it along to the projecting bar A', which retains it, the prongs c c yielding or being thrown back, on account of the elasticity ofthe spring-plate N, so as to pass the bar A'.

When the iinger of the operator is removed from the depressed key, the latter, together with the arm X and bar A', is moved back to its original position by a spring, Z, and the type is drawn back by the hook, f of the bar A' over a chamber, R, and the type drops into said chamber, the rack S in the chamber being, as previously explained, moved down the distance of a type by the pawl-and-ratchet arrangement.

In order to prevent a type being thrown in contact with the prongs c of a spring-plate, N, if the latter should chance to be passing the type at the instant a key, Q, is depressed, I have a plate, G', pivoted at one end to the under side of the bar O, and the opposite end of this plate is connected by a link, k, with the bar F. When a key, Q, is not depressed, the plate G', Fig. 5, is kept in an inclined position, so as to cause each spring-plate N of the belt L to be forced down, and the prongs c c to pass below the type. Vhen, however, a key, Q, is depressed, the arm B' is moved simultaneously, in consequence of the arm X of said key coming in contact with the rod D', and the pin t' of B' moves forward in the part -7L of the slot in bar F' without moving the latter 5 but when said pin reaches the oblique part hx the bar F' is raised, and with it the plate G', and the prongs c can then catch the type on bar O, and carry -or shove it along to the bar A', which is in a position to arrest its movement, and draw it into its proper chamber R.

I will now proceed to describe the type-setting mechanism H' represents keys which are constructed precisely similar to the keys Q, and are also fitted loosely on a shaft, I', at the side of the machine which is opposite to the side where the keys Q are placed. These keys H', at their lower ends, act against pendent arms J', fitted loosely on a shaft, l, the arms J' having rollers m at their lower ends, which are directly over spring-bars K' attached to the bedpiece on which the machine rests. Each arm J has a spring, nx, and a rod, nf, pivoted to it near its lower end, and theserods work through the lower parts of the type-chambers It.

Each time a key, II', is pressed down and its arm J' shoved forward the rod n of said arm forces a type out from the bottom of the chamber R, through which it passes upon the bar L', under which the belt G works, the type thus shoved out being carried by the prongs o o of a number of springs M', attached to Sgil belt, to a stick, N. (See Figs. 11,2, and 4.) 

